Kerala Chicken Curry

Name: Kerala Chicken Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500 grams /(1 pound) Skinless and Boneless Chicken Thigh ((Note 1)); 1 teaspoon Tumeric Powder; 1 teaspoon Sea Salt; ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala spice powder; 2 medium Red onions (finely diced); 2 Long green Chillies (seeds removed , finely diced (Note 4)); 2 medium Ripe Tomatoes (finely diced (Note 2)); 1 tablespoon Crushed garlic ((Note 6)); 1 tablespoon Ginger (grated); 4 teaspoons Ground Coriander powder; 2 teaspoons Garam Masala powder ((Note 5)); ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder; ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder; 1 can (400 ml/14 oz) Full Fat Coconut Cream ((Note 7)); 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil; 2 cups Steamed Basmati Rice; 5 sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves ((Note 3)); 1 tablespoon Finely diced coriander/cilantro

This Kerala Chicken Curry is a deliciously simple curry with flavours of garlic, ginger, chilli, tomato and warming spices in a coconut cream base, with lightly fried curry leaves for additional flavour and texture. The chicken is marinated in spices and gently simmered in the curry sauce for a light, yet bold and spicy dish.

Jump to Recipe

a bowl of chicken kerala curry with curry leaves

Recipe Highlights

It’s big on flavour and you can make it in under 30 minutes
Its easy to adjust the level of spiciness up or down
No need to roast off the spices
Its made all in one pan
Its made from scratch with no unusual or hard to find ingredients
It freezes well and is also great for meal prep

This recipe serves 4 people and makes for great leftovers. You can eat it with your favourite rice, or for a low carb alternative, I love to use frozen cauliflower rice, zapped in the microwave for 4 minutes. Lets face it, sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to make cauliflower rice from scratch!

The addition of gently fried fresh curry leaves in this recipe really makes this dish special. The curry leaves are crisp, crunchy and earthy and provide taste as well as texture.

Ingredients

This chicken curry kerala style is a light and fragrant curry but with bold flavours from the mix of spices like tumeric, chilli, corriander, chinese five spice, garam masala and of course garlic and ginger.

The curry leaves are also a must as they add texture and flavour.

For more kerala curry recipes check out my Fish Kerala Curry and Slow Cooker Beef Kerala Curry, which are great for making year round, both in winter when you want a big bowl of comfort food, and in summer when you want a curry that won't weigh you down.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken: Chicken thigh is ideal in curries as it stays moist and juicy, and is even better the next day. Cut the chicken thigh in ½ inch pieces (1 ½ cm pieces) so they are roughly all the same size so the cook evenly.
Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes work great in this recipe, however you could also use two large ripe tomatoes finely chopped.
Curry Leaves: I buy fresh curry leaves from both Woolworths and Coles in Australia – from the fruit and veg section with the fresh herbs. I Always buy two packs, because I love frying lots of curry leaves off and using them as a garnish at the end.
Green Chillies: Make sure to buy the long green chillies as they are a milder chilli once the seeds are removed. The smaller green chillies are VERY hot and not suitable for this curry.
Spices: All the spices in this recipe are from Woolworths/Coles. No special trip to the Indian Grocer needed.
Garlic and Ginger: Whilst you can’t beat the taste of fresh crushed garlic or fresh grated ginger, if you don’t have access to this, using the garlic and ginger that comes in a jar is a great alternative.
Coconut Cream: Full fat is what I prefer to get that thick and luscious sauce, however a low fat version will also work.

I love my curries, especially green thai curries but sometimes, I want a different type of curry and a chicken kerala curry always hits the spot. This type of south indian curry is not your typical "heavy" curry with a thick oily sauce. Instead it still has the deliciously creamy curry sauce with coconut cream but without the greasiness. The spice mix is also made from scratch and in just a few simple steps you can make your own kerala curry base.

Also, whilst some curries take ages to cook and develop that delicious deep curry flavour and aroma, the flavours in this kerala style chicken curry develop quickly and you can have this curry on the table in under 30 minutes and still experience the same bright bold flavours.

How To Make

Marinate the chicken in a bowl with the turmeric powder, sea salt and garam masala spices. Make sure spices are gently massaged into the chicken pieces. Cover and set aside to prepare the rest.

Cook Onions and Chilli: Add the oil to a hot pan/skillet and add the diced onions and chilli. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.
Add Garlic/Ginger: To the same pan, add the garlic, ginger and stir through until aromatic – about 1 minute

sweating off onions ginger and garlic in a pan

Add spices and tomatoes: Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala Chinese five spice powder and chopped tomatoes. Mix together, moving round the pan for a minute or two, until the tomatoes start to soften, the spices become fragrant, and it resembles a thick brown curry paste. Remove curry paste from pan, into a bowl and set aside.

Adding spices and tomatoes to the onion mixture in a pan

Cook Chicken: Add Chicken to the same pan and cook, gently moving round the pan until cooked through so it can soak up the residual flavours of the curry paste.

Add Curry Paste Back into Pan: Add the curry paste back int the pan with the chicken and stir through to coat.
Add Coconut cream and stir through. Heat through and bring to a simmer but don’t let it boil or bubble. Turn heat down to low once curry is hot. Let it cook on low heat to absorb the flavours for another 5 minutes whilst you prepare the curry leaves to garnish.

Curry Leaves: Heat a small pan on high heat with ½ tablespoon of oil (any will do). Remove curry leaves from the stems and add to pan once heated. Stir them around in the pan – they will sizzle and crackle a bit and will only take a minute or two to cook. Once they’ve become crisp and turned a darker shade of green, remove from pan.

Serving: Divide the curry equally between 4 bowls with rice, and sprinkle the crunchy curry leaves on top, along with chopped coriander/cilantro.

Your Questions Answered

How Spicy is this curry?

I would call this Chicken Kerala Curry a medium curry. If you like a medium thai curry, this is about the same.

Can I use coconut milk instead of coconut cream?

Yes, you could use coconut cream. This will result in an even thicker curry saucy. It may need a little thinning out which could be achieved by adding a tablespoon or two of water.

Can I use Chicken Breast instead of Chicken Thigh?

Yes definitely. Use skinless chicken breast and dice it into ½ inch pieces (2cm by 2cm) Chicken breast will cook quicker so keep an eye on it. It may also be a little bit drier as there isn’t as much fat to keep it as moist as chicken thigh .

Recipe Tips

Coconut milk can be substituted for the coconut cream, and will result in a slightly thinner sauce. However you can use a slurry of 2 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch and 2 tablespoons tap water mixed together in a small bowl, and added to the curry. Stir through on high heat to quickly thicken the sauce.
Less Spicy: If you prefer something milder, you can omit the green chillies altogether, or use 1 instead of 2 (remember to remove the seeds). If you’re not sure, omit the chillies, and add them as a garnish at the end.
More spicy: Add some fresh slice red chill to serve
Fresh Curry Leaves Are Best: I love using fresh because they fry up to be light and crispy with just the tiniest obit of oil. They also have much more flavour. Dried curry leaves are a bit bland and I find they don’t have much taste.

chicken kerala curry with rice and curry leaves

What To Serve With Kerala Curry

With Veges: Mashed or roasted potatoes, steamed greens (beans, broccoli, blanched spinach, zucchini)
With Rice: Minute rice if your pressed for time is a convenient option, or steamed basmati rice, brown rice
Low Carb Option: Frozen cauliflower rice, steamed in heat proof jug in the microwave for 4 minutes. Its so convenient. Or you can make your own cauliflower rice.
Breads: Garlic Naan bread, Roti Bread, Pappadums, or even this super simple 3 ingredient Flatbread – so easy even if you’ve never made bread before

The sauce in this kerala style curry is creamy and luscious thanks to the coconut cream, and as with all curries, it tastes even better the next day.

Other Curry Recipes